Smyrna times., 1887-06-22
STRATEGY, NERVE AND LIBERTY.
The Story of a Confederate Soldiers
Escape from the Federal Guards.

The Story of Confederate Soldiers
Escape from the Federal Guards.
Some time later we were transferred
| to Point Lookout prison. Maryland.
! Among our number was a young man
named Hunter, of Washington, D. c..
| During his imprisonment he had been
furnished with complete wardrobe, far
more complete than any Confederate
soldier dared to dream of. On the day
of departure he was dressed in a ''nobby''
business suit, looking as unlike a soldier
OF any kind as could be. The prisoners
were gathered together in the quadrangle
of the prison, and as each name was
called the man passed through the office
out to the pavement and formed in
column between the lines of guards.
Each prisoner carried his effects-if he
was fortunate enough to possess any.
When Hunters name was called he came
out envelOped in his blanket, his hat
knocked awry and carrying his valise.
Those who had seen how iauntily he
looked in the yard scarcely recognized
this figure that shuffled, with it's shamb-
ling gait, out to the pavement, nor did
they understand why he had made such
a guy of himself The prisoners talked
and laughed gayly among themselves.
No one noticed Hunter Law aside his
blanket and spruce himself up. Ask
ing cOmrade to look after his blanket
and valise, and to make no remark ON
anything he might see, Hunter moved to
the curbstOne side of the column. I'm
noticed by the guards he stepped beyond
the curbing and faced around, looking
nonchalantly at the prisoners while leis-
urely lighting cigar. One of the guards
noticed the distingue individual and
brought his musket down to a ''charge
bayonets, remarking: otis against
orders SIT, for anyone to come on this
side OF the street" Hunter coOlly said,
while putting his cigar: ooh, I'd like to
get good look at these ID rebels
The guard repeated: "It's against orders.
sir, and you will have to cross the street. -
'Au right, says Hunter, not wishing
70 prolong the conversation, and he saun-
tered across the street-turning occa-
slonaLly to look at the prisOners-w
leaning against a tree box, he watched
the ''Johnnies" with as much curiosity
as anyone there. When the column
moved off the cheer that went up from
the COnfederates was thought bv the
lockers on to be the escape of pent up
feelings of prisoners at being let out into
the open air, when in reality it was the
farewell Outburst of admiration for their
comrade left standing there, who, by his
strategy and nerve, had won for himself
freer air than they breathed.
Hunter spent several days in Washing
ton, then started for Dixie, but was can
tured at Bowling Green, Va, not as an
escaped prisoner, but as one who couldn't
give a clear account of himself. His
captors halted for the night on the wav
to Washington, taking refuge in an old |
abandoned house, with one of those LARGE
stone chimneys so common in Virginia. |
The windows being all boarded uD and |
one OF the guards lying against the door. |
they thought that sufficient to hold a |
fancy little blockade runner" there |
fore relaxed their vigilance so much as
to sEeep. A little fire, smoke and SCOT |
were slight impediments to a man like
the prisoner. He crawled up the Chin
ney' dropped down on the outside. and
prisons knew him no omore.-Philadelphia
Times.